Peli 'aimed to match Blair Witch success'

Paranormal Activity director Oren Peli has admitted that he wanted to replicate the success of The Blair Witch Project with his debut feature.

The low-budget horror, which Peli shot in his own home for $15,000, recently crossed the $100 million box office barrier in the US to become the most profitable film in Paramount's history.

"I was hoping that after seeing the success of movies like The Blair Witch Project and Open Water, if the movie turned out well maybe it would have some future in theatres," Peli told DS. "I didn't really know until I started playing the movie in test screenings and saw the reaction, then I started thinking, 'Maybe we really could have a future in theatrical distribution'."

The filmmaker added that he feels the movie's success is down to audiences finding it "genuinely really scary".

"From what we're hearing from people it's the first movie that's really scared them in a long time," Peli said. "It could be because of the realism or the subject matter. What happens at night when you're asleep? The primal fear that everyone shares in common."